Sign device



Aug. 9, W3. J. B. HAMILTON SIGN DEVICE Filed May 17,1957

INVENTO JZ'IM/IE M1 7012 Patented Aug. 9, 1938 V zgzaoos 2,126,008 SIGNDEV'ICE. Jennie BYHamilton, Westfi'eld, Mass. Application May 117, 1937., Seriall No. 143,078

2, Claims.

This invention relates to a sign device :and is an improvement over that form of such sign de' vice shown in my previous Patent No. 1,933,013."

aminimum amount of retaining offset portions and the few but necessary: slits therein are effectually: covered and concealed when the sign is in use, giving it the characteristicappearance of permanency and durability.

Further advantages and improved features of the present device will be apparent from. the specification, taken in connection with the ac-1 companying drawing, in which Figrl is a top plan view of the complete sign device; I i

Fig. 2 is a section of the same along the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view along the line 33 of Fig. l; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view along the line 44 of Fig. l.

The sign device is adapted for association with or to be attached to commodities for sale, such as meat products, grocery products, etc. The main plate of the device indicated at I consists of any suitable material adapted to be formed into shape by stamping or pressing. Celluloid and other synthetic materials having a. glossy 35 surface are preferred for this purpose. The plate is adapted to have removably mounted thereon for being changed, indicia members preferably of like material as the plate, to convey information as to the name, style, price, quantity, or other, data concerning the commodity being marked, and it will be understood that because of the durable and easily cleaned character of the material used, these signs may be used over and over for a long period and on different com- 45 modities by replacing or changing the indicia members to suit the particular commodity being marked.

In the present embodiment of my device, numeral members 2 in the form of fiat cut-outs are mounted at the upper part of the plate I to indicate the total price of the commodity, in this case porterhouse steak, which is printed or otherwise marked on a name card 3 removably mounted at the lower part of the plate I. The numeral members 2, preferably of the same material as end the main supporting member is formed with.

the main: plate, are of contrasting colorrso that as mounted on the face of the plate they show up clearly. Each of said numeral members isformed with anextension tabd at its upper and lower ends adapted to be received in tab pockets. 5, three pairs of which are shown in the upper part of said plate I. The tab pockets 5 are formed by offsetting the portions of the plate upwardly from its face and by cutting a slit at one side of each raised portion to provide facing openings: for the opposite pockets of each pair. The name card 3 is adapted to be received in a depressed rectangular panel 6 formed by offsetting thelower part of the main plate downwardly from the face thereof. The opposite side walls I and'B of said depressed panel 6 each have a slit .8 and Ii] respectively out through the same at an intermediate part of said side wall and of a length less than that of said side wall so as to provide shoulders adjacent each end of eachslit- 9 and Ill. The name card 3 is flat and is provided at each end with reducedextensions II T and I2 of less width than the card; and adapted to pass through the slits Sand Ill. The extensions II and I2 fit closely in the slits 9 and I0 and the shoulders of said extensions abut the shoulders in the offset side walls I and 8 of said panel to align and fixedly secure the card in the panel against displacement. The name card 3 may be of such dimensions as to completely fill the panel 6, or it may be just Wide enough to form shoulders at each side of its extensions II and I2 which abut the shoulders of the side walls of the panel 6.

Preferably located in a part of the main plate I intermediate the depressed panel 6 and the position of the numeral cut-outs 2, is a line of rectangular window openings I3. Each of these window openings is formed by offsetting a portion of the main plate downwardly from its face and by cutting slots through said plate at the sides I4 and I 5 of each of said windows I3, whereby the offset portions of the plate form retaining straps I6 one behind each window. A continuous fiat and straight strip card I! bearing indicia for display through the window openings is slidably received between the underside of said plate I and the several retaining straps I6 behind the window openings I3. This strip card I? is preferably of such material that it may be written upon in pencil for carrying the indicia thereon which is tobe displayed through the window openings. As shown in Fig. 1, there is preferably printed adjacent each of the window openings, suitable data such as lbs., 02., and 1b., so as to .to facilitate the insertion of such a strip card the entrance slots I4 therefor are made bell mouthed by flaring backwardly the adjacent edge l6 of each strap l6 as shown in Fig. 3. The corners ll of the strip card I! are also rounded .ofi as shown in Fig. 1 to further facilitate the insertion of said card through said slots M.

In order that an inserted strip card will be retained in place on the back of the main card I and will not be easily shifted in position with respect to said main card, one or more of the straps I6 is formed with an inwardly projecting nib l6" which presses frictionally against the inserted strip card I! as shown in Fig. '3. The strip card I! fits rather loosely in the space between the straps I6 and the main card I for the easy insertion therein and can be forced with little extra pressure beneath the nib l6 whereby the latter securely holds the card I! in place.

It is intended that the strip card I! will be inserted by pushing it from right torleft, viewing Fig. 3. Therefore the entrance slots M at the right edge of each strip l6 are made bell mouthed as shown, whereas the holding nib I6 is formed in a localized area of the strap l6 adjacent the left hand slot l5 thereof. It will generally be sufficient to form a nib IS" in only the strap l6 farthest to the left as shown in Fig. 3, but if desirable similar nibs may be formed near the left hand edge of the other straps l6 as Well.

The advantages of my improved Sign service will be apparent from the foregoing description, and it is to be understood that various equivalent changes in the details of construction and arrangement of the same may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

I claim:

1. As an article of manufacture, a sign device of the type which carries price indicia thereon for marking commodities for sale, comprising a supporting plate of Celluloid and the like, having a series of spaced rectangular Window openings in line formed by a plurality of pairs of parallel cuts through said plate member with the portions between each pair of cuts offset backwardly from the surface of said plate member to form retaining straps behind the window openings, and a slidable strip card bearing indicia for display through said window openings removably received between the underside of said plate and said several retaining straps, and one or more of said retaining straps having an inwardly depressed nib to frictionally engage the inserted strip and hold it from displacement.

2. As an article of manufacture, a sign device of the type which carries price indicia thereon for marking commodities for sale, comprising a supporting plate of Celluloid and the like, having a series of spaced rectangular window openings in line formed by a plurality of pairs of parallel cuts through said plate member with the portions between each pair of cuts offset backwardly from the surface of said plate member to form retaining straps behind the window openings, a slidable strip card bearing indicia for display through said window openings removably received between the underside of said plate and said several retaining straps, the out free edges at corresponding sides of said offset straps being flared backwardly from the plate to provide bell mouthed openings for the easy insertion of said slidable strip, and one or more of said retaining straps having an inwardly depressed nib to frictionally engage the inserted strip and hold it from displacement.

JENNIE B. HAMILTON. 

